The Middle East is set to become a powerhouse of innovation, as the region seeks to capitalize on the progress made to date, leveraging national visions and private and public sector investment.

Digital transformation is seen as the key to the region’s ongoing development. UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Omar Sultan Al Olama, is responsible for developing the digital economy, and has recently spoken about the creation of the UAE Coders’ Society. This will bring together the tens of thousands of coders already in the UAE and has a focus on bringing women coders to the fore, opening up a range of opportunities to the female population throughout the Emirates.

Dubai, also, is making its own digital transformations, with its paperless society concept making great headway. In fact, the Dubai Government expects to make its last paper transaction mid-December 2021; Dubai Police has launched a GPS vehicle camera tracking system; and on Dubai’s roads, artificial intelligence is being employed to create safer cycling facilities.

With the increasing use of computing technologies, comes the increasing need to manage increasing volumes of data. It is estimated that data generation will double by 2024. Managing and using that data without delay or interruption is vital to the success of digital transformation programmes. Removing humans and automating processes is a key aspect of this future vision. A growing number of solutions to this issue have been showcased in recent weeks, helping to make the transition to greater data density invisible to the end-user.

Other tools that will enable digital transformation include tools making it easier for entrepreneurs to share their ideas and approaches, enhanced and private digital networks, sustainable printing technologies, and crucially, cyber security developments.